1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bracket supports of the type that are commonly employed in certain wall structures, such as partitions that include a plurality of spaced vertical studs defining the wall frame. More particularly, the invention herein pertains to a substantially integral support that offers significant economic advantages over conventional structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An often-utilized wall construction that is particularly favored by retail business establishments and offices includes a frame formed by a plurality of spaced, vertically arranged wall studs. Often such studs are metallic and generally U-shaped in cross section, opposed flanges providing strength and anchor points for the wallboard panel surfaces of the partition-type wall units. Construction of this type is almost universally employed at the present time in the division of office space into tenants' preferred anrrangements as it is both economical and semipermanent, allowing easy rearrangement for new occupants.
Commonly, shelf space adjacent the partition is desired. Thus, a series of wall shelves will be provided, each shelf positioned at a right angle to the wallboard surface. These shelves are usually supported by brackets that protrude from and are anchored in some manner within the partition.
A number of arrangements have been provided in the past for properly mounting such brackets securely. The bracket support must provide adequate resistance to the weight and bending moments that are transferred to it in consequence of the loading of the cantilevered wall shelves. Further, the geometry of such support must be fully compatible with the wall unit and studs.
A common bracket supporting mechanism generally includes an elongated, often slotted, core member of bar steel or the like. The slots in this member are intended to engage a mating tongue that projects inwardly at the inner end of the conventional wall bracket. A critical feature of the overall bracket support pertains to the mode of securing the slotted support bar to the wall. Such apparatus, often an elongated housing, must not only accommodate the slotted core member in a secure manner but also be compatible with the wall unit and the bracket. Means must be provided to stabilize the core member both laterally and vertically as it is not inherently stable. Further, ready access to the slots of the core member and the enhancement of bracket stability are quite desirable.
The multiple requirements of a bracket support design have resulted in a number of solutions. Generally, such designs have included a vertical channel for retaining the bracket support core or bar. Numerous configurations have been employed for cooperatively engaging such channel to the remainder of the wall unit. Examples of designs that include an upright channel for receiving a slotted support bar and that are adapted to be secured to a wall are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. NO. 3,714,748 of Costruba for "Support Structure for Shelving" issued Feb. 6, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,477 of J. R. Wavrunek for "Bracket Support Unit for Integral Wall Construction" issued May 1, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 3,492,766 of W. R. Andrews for "Adjustable Stud" issued Feb. 3, 1970; U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,669 of G. J. Plemeng for "Support Structure for Shelving" issued May 5, 1970; U.S. Pat. NO. 3,407,547 of J. Doke et al. for "Metallic Wall Stud Structure for Supporting Shelf Brackets" issued Oct. 29, 1968; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,507 of J. Doke for "Metallic Structure for Interior Walls to Carry Shelf Brackets and Wallboard" issued July 30, 1968.
A critical feature of a practical support design is cost, both of manufacture and of upkeep as wall units are designed for economy. Related to economy of upkeep is the inherent reliability of a design. The bracket supports disclosed in the Costruba, Andrews and Plemeng patents employ angle bars, spot welded to the core support bar, to define a stabilizing outwardly-protruding passageway for the bracket. The angle bars form, with the support bar, a slidable arrangement within the upright channel formed inside the bracket support housing. While such a passageway is advantageous both in terms of bracket stability and protection of the surrounding drywall from chipping and fraying, this type of construction requires numerous fabrication steps and results in a structure that includes numerous welds subject to fracture.
The Wavrunek patent discloses a bracket support in which the passageway is formed of a molded piece integral with an upright housing including an interior channel. However, the increased reliability of this design is achieved only at the cost of the substantial added fabrication costs that result from the extrusion process as opposed to more economical processes such as cold rolling and the like.